FEC to Crack Down on ‘Deez Nuts’

The Federal Election Commission is cracking down on parody political candidate filings, the agency announced, meaning candidates like “Deez Nuts” could be a thing of the past. “The commission has authorized staff to send verification letters to filers listing fictional characters, obscene language, sexual references, celebrities (where there is no indication that the named celebrity submitted the filing), animals, or similarly implausible entries as the name or contact information of the candidate or committee,” the FEC said. The crackdown on “unlawfully false or fictitious” candidate filings will entail a verification process in which agency employees will send letters to candidates to confirm their identities and notify them of potential penalties.